Method, receiving terminal and transmitting terminal for identifying a caller

ABSTRACT

A method is provided for identifying a first subscriber of a telecommunication network, a receiving terminal for identifying a first subscriber of a telecommunication network, and a transmitting terminal. According to the inventive method, the identification of the first subscriber is carried out in such a manner that information of at least one type of information for identifying the first subscriber is output to at least one receiving terminal, whereby the output of information of the information type text is excluded on the at least one receiving terminal. This method enables identification capabilities to be integrated in a more diverse manner; in particular, multimedia representations are integrated during the identification of the first subscriber of the telecommunications network.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method for identifying a firstsubscriber of a telecommunications network, a reception terminal foridentifying a first subscriber of a telecommunications network and atransmission terminal. It is known that in various telecommunicationsnetworks the called subscriber of a telecommunications network isalready informed of who the calling subscriber of the telecommunicationsnetwork is during the connection set-up through a communication on adisplay unit of the reception terminal which is assigned to him/her. Theperformance feature of the telecommunications network which is known bythe term “caller identification” is offered, for example, within themobile radio network known as Global System for Mobile CommunicationsGSM.

The communication of the terminal identifier of the calling subscriberto the called subscriber is also offered as a performance feature of theline-bound Euro-ISDN telecommunications network. It is also known by thename Calling Line Identification Presentation CLIP. However, the callingsubscriber can suppress the transmission of his/her terminal identifierto the called subscriber within the Euro-ISDN telecommunicationsnetwork. This performance feature is known by the name Calling LineIdentification Restriction CLIR. The call number and the name of thecalling subscriber can be presented on the display unit of the calledsubscriber. Furthermore, there is a display there indicating whether theconnection is an internal telephone connection of an enclosedtelecommunications network; for example, a company network, or anexternal telephone connection.

On the other hand, printed visitor's cards for identifying a person toother persons are handed over when people meet.

During the setting up of the telephone connection (i.e., in thesignaling phase), a ringing tone generally sounds at the calledsubscriber of a telecommunications network. The type or form ofexpression of the ringing tone cannot be influenced by the callingsubscriber.

The present invention is therefore directed to a technical solution foridentifying a first subscriber of a telecommunications network, whichsolution entails a greater variety of identification possibilities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, in a method for identifying a firstsubscriber of a telecommunications network, the first subscriber isidentified in such a way that information of at least one informationtype for identifying the first subscriber is output at at least onereception terminal, with only the output of information of the textinformation type at the at least one reception terminal being excluded.

One advantage of the present invention is that the calling subscriber ofa telecommunications network is identified more quickly by the calledsubscribers of the telecommunications network if, for example, when thetelephone connection is set up, a photo of the calling subscriber is onthe display unit of the reception terminals of the called subscribers.

A further advantage of the present invention is that, by virtue of thepossibility of connecting information of one or more information types,such as via a video or music, it is possible for the calling subscriberto present himself/herself to the called subscribers in a particularlyadvantageous and comprehensive fashion. Companies could, for example,make it obligatory for the company logo to appear on the display unit ofthe reception terminals of the called customers when a telephoneconnection from their employees is set up.

It is also advantageous for the information of at least one type ofinformation, such as of a multimedia visitor's card, for identifyingsubscribers of the telecommunications network to be integrated both whensetting up a voice connection and during an existing voice connection.

Furthermore, the inclusion of voice or music makes it possible thatblind persons to whom a call is to be set up already can recognize thecalling subscriber of the telecommunications network during thesignaling phase.

It is also advantageous for the calling subscriber of thetelecommunications network to assign a priority to the call when thetelephone connection is set up. This priority, such as a particularurgency, is indicated to the called subscriber by a particularexpression of the ringing tone. The called subscriber then decideswhether he/she will accept the call.

Additional features and advantages of the present invention aredescribed in, and will be apparent from, the following DetailedDescription of the Invention and the Figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a telecommunications network in which afirst subscriber having a transmission terminal which is operated byhim/her sets up or maintains a telephone connection to one or morefurther subscribers, each of the one or more further subscribersoperating a reception terminal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.Within a telecommunications network TKN there are a number ofsubscribers T1, . . . , Tn. The subscriber T1 is operating atransmission terminal SEE1. Each of the subscribers T2, . . . , Tn isoperating a reception terminal EEE1. The transmission terminal SEE1 andreception terminal EEE1 also may be embodied, for example, as atelephone terminal for line-bound or mobile communication. Furthermore,the transmission terminal SEE1 and the reception terminal EEE1 can beembodied as a computer with a telephone function or as a furtherterminal device for transmitting and receiving data.

The first subscriber T1 sets up a call to the second subscriber T2within the telecommunications network TKN. Since the first subscriber T1has a particularly important and urgent request for the secondsubscriber T2, the first subscriber T1 selects a high priority forhis/her call. This is done by the first subscriber T1 pressing a“priority key” on the transmission terminal SEE1 or selecting the “highpriority” feature from a memory of the transmission terminal SEE1 afterhe/she has input the call number of the second subscriber T2. The firstsubscriber T1 then presses the start key on the transmission terminalSEE1 so that the call set-up starts. The fact that the call has a highpriority for the first subscriber T1 is indicated to the secondsubscriber T2 by the type or expression of the ringing tone during thesignaling phase. As a result, in the case of this call the ringing toneis expressed as a SOS tone. The called second subscriber T2 can takeinto account the expression of the ringing tone in such a way thathe/she accepts the call or records a message on an answering machinewhich is connected to the reception terminal EEE1.

The first subscriber T1, in turn sets up a call to the second subscriberT2. The first subscriber Ti would like the second subscriber T2 to beable to identify him/her unambiguously during the setting up of theconnection. The first subscriber T1 selects a photo of the firstsubscriber T1 from the memory of the transmission terminal SEE1,includes this photo in the call set-up after inputting the call numberof the second subscriber T2 and triggers the setting up of theconnection to the second subscriber T2 by pressing the start key on thetransmission terminal SEE 1. The photo of the first subscriber T1already appears on a display unit of the reception terminal EEE1 of thesecond subscriber T2 during the signaling phase. The second subscriberT2 identifies the first subscriber T1 directly from the displayed photo.

The first subscriber T1 has a series of photos stored in thetransmission terminal SEE1 for different moods in which he/she could be.The first subscriber T1 has just passed an exam and includes in the callset-up a photo in which he/she looks joyful. The called secondsubscriber T2 sees the joyful first subscriber T1 on the display unit ofthe reception terminal EEE1 and can prepare himself/herself for the moodof the first subscriber T1 before he/she accepts the call. If the firstsubscriber T1 had failed the exam, he/she would have included in thecall set-up a photo in which he/she looks sad, and the second subscriberT2 would have been prewarned.

The first subscriber T1 also may include in the call set-up a title of acurrent piece of music which is stored in the transmission terminalSEE1, other stored images, moving images (videos) or lines of text. Ifthe first subscriber T1 is a colleague in a company, the company logowhich is stored in the transmission terminal SEE1 could be included inthe call set-up. If the second subscriber T2 is a customer of thecompany of the first subscriber T1, the second subscriber T2 couldunambiguously identify the first subscriber as a colleague of thiscompany by reference to the company logo which appears on a display unitof the reception terminal EEE1 during the signaling phase. The companycan present itself to its customers in a particularly advantageous wayby including company logos.

The information which is already communicated from the first subscriberT1 to the second subscriber T2 during the setting up of a telephoneconnection, and which appears on the display unit of the receptionterminal EEE1 of the second subscriber T2, can be of differentinformation types. Information types may include, for example, text,audio information types such as music, voice and ringing, and visualinformation types such as photos, images, graphics, moving images andvideos. Text information is composed of alphanumeric characters; that isto say, numbers, letters and special characters. These information typesalso may be included in the call set-up in combination with one another.For example, when a connection is set up between the first subscriber T1and the second subscriber T2, a multimedia visitor's card, on which textinformation, a photo and a music video are integrated, is selected bythe first subscriber T1 and is signaled to the second subscriber T2during the connection set-up. The second subscriber T2 also can besimultaneously presented with the call number of the calling firstsubscriber T1, a photo of the first subscriber T1 and a ringing tonewhich is intended to indicate high priority of the call.

If the second subscriber T2 is a blind person, the first subscriber T1can include a voice message or a piece of music in the call set-up sothat the second subscriber T2 already knows who is calling him/herbefore accepting the call.

The information which may include one or more information types andwhich is used to identify the first subscriber T1 to the secondsubscriber T2 is generally stored in a memory of the transmissionterminal SEE1 and can be selected in a known fashion; for example,through a selection using keys. This information, however, also can bestored in a memory of a telecommunications network TKN of atelecommunications provider. The first subscriber T1 sets up aconnection to the memory of the telecommunications network TKN before aconnection to the second subscriber T2 is set up, the first subscriberT1 selects the desired stored information and includes this informationin the setting up of the connection to the second subscriber T2.

Furthermore, the information for identifying the first subscriber T1also can be stored in a memory of the reception terminal EEE1 of thesecond subscriber T2. If the reception terminal EEE1 recognizes thefirst subscriber T1 in the signaling phase by reference to his/her callnumber, the reception terminal EEE1 assigns a photo of the firstsubscriber T1 to the call number and causes a photo to be displayed onthe display unit of the reception terminal EEE1.

Information of one or more information types can be stored at thetransmission terminal SEE1 or the reception terminal EEE1 in multimediatelephone directories or can be created and selected by the subscribersT1, . . . , Tn who operate the respective transmission terminal SEE1 andreception terminal EEE1.

It is also possible to include multimedia visitor's cards of the firstsubscriber T1 in the short message service known as SMS, to transmitthem to the second subscriber T2 in order to identify the firstsubscriber T1 and to display them on the reception terminal EEE1.

Of course, the called second subscriber T2 can also determine which ofthe information of one or more information types, which is included inorder to identify the first subscriber T1 is to be output at thereception terminal EEE1. Thus, he/she can, for example, suppress theoutputting of photos on a display unit of the reception terminal EEE1 orlimit the outputting of information on the display unit of the receptionterminal EEE1 to one information type for example, voice information.The second subscriber T2 can also set the reception terminal EEE1 insuch a way that the second subscriber T2 predefines the mode ofexpression with which incoming calls with high importance are to besignaled. The first subscriber T1, who sets up a call to the secondsubscriber T2, includes a ringing tone SOS as a high priority characterin the call set-up so that the called second subscriber T2 can ensure,by inputs into the reception terminal EEE1, that this call is outputwith high priority as a permanent ringing tone.

The possibility of including information of one or more informationtypes is not restricted to the phase of the setting up of a telephoneconnection. It is also possible that, during an already-existing voiceconnection between the first subscriber T1 and the second subscriber T2,the first subscriber T1 includes a multimedia visitor's card with theidentification data of the first subscriber T1 to the second subscriberT2 in the existing voice connection in order to permit the firstsubscriber T1 to be comprehensively identified by the second subscriberT2.

The method of including information of one or more information types canalso be implemented if a voice connection is set up, or already exists,between the first subscriber T1 and a number of further subscribers T2,. . . , Tn.

If a group call to the members of the group, specifically to the numberof further subscribers T2, . . . , Tn is set up by a first subscriberT1, information of one or more information types for permitting thefirst subscriber T1 to be identified by the number of furthersubscribers T2, . . . , Tn can be included in the call set-up. Whenthere is an existing voice connection (telephone conference) between thefirst subscriber T1 and a number of further subscribers T2, . . . , Tn,the first subscriber T1 can include a multimedia visitor's card in theexisting voice connection to the number of further subscribers T2, . . ., Tn. The subscriber T1 can determine whether he/she communicates themultimedia visitor's card to all the other subscribers T2, . . . , Tn oronly to selected further subscribers; for example, the furthersubscribers T2 and T3. Both the calling first subscriber T1 and thecalled number of further subscribers T2, . . . , Tn have the possibilityof communicating a multimedia visitor's card to any other desiredsubscribers T1, . . . , Tn during an existing voice connection.

Furthermore, the first subscriber T1 can define which information of oneor more information types for identifying the first subscriber T1 is tobe communicated to individual further subscribers T2, . . . , Tn whichare participating in an existing voice connection. If there is a voiceconnection between the subscribers T1, T2, T3 and T4, the firstsubscriber T1 can communicate a multimedia visitor's card to the secondsubscriber T2, a ringing tone to the third subscriber T3 and a musicvideo to the fourth subscriber T4.

The present invention thus permits varied and comprehensive inclusion ofinformation of one or more information types for identifying subscribersT1, . . . , Tn of a telecommunications network TKN into calls which areto be set up and into existing voice connections. In this way, thepresent invention enriches the communication between parties to a callwithin a telecommunications network TKN.

Although the present invention has been described with reference tospecific embodiments, those of skill in the art will recognize thatchanges may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present invention as set forth in the hereafter appended claims.

1-19. (canceled)
 20. A method for identifying a first subscriber of atelecommunications network, the method comprising: outputtinginformation of at least one information type for identifying the firstsubscriber at at least one reception terminal; and providing that theinformation of at least one information type exclude information of atext information type.
 21. A method for identifying a first subscriberof a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 20, the methodfurther comprising storing the information of at least one informationtype in a memory of the telecommunications network.
 22. A method foridentifying a first subscriber of a telecommunications network asclaimed in claim 20, the method further comprising storing theinformation of at least one information type at the at least onereception terminal.
 23. A method for identifying a first subscribe of atelecommunications network as claimed in claim 20, the method furthercomprising storing the information of at least one information type at atransmission terminal of the first subscriber.
 24. A method foridentifying a first subscriber of a telecommunications network asclaimed in claim 20, wherein the information of at least one informationtype is at least one of audible information and visual information. 25.A method for identifying a first subscriber of a telecommunicationsnetwork as claimed in claim 20, wherein the information of at least oneinformation type for identifying the first subscriber is output uponsetting up of a voice connection between the first subscriber and atleast one further subscriber of the telecommunications networkrespectively operating the at least one reception terminal.
 26. A methodfor identifying a first subscriber of a telecommunications network asclaimed in claim 25, wherein the first subscriber is identified via avoice message output at the at least one reception terminal.
 27. Amethod for identifying a first subscriber of a telecommunicationsnetwork as claimed in claim 25, wherein the first subscriber isidentified via a ringing tone output at the at least one receptionterminal.
 28. A method for identifying a first subscriber of atelecommunications network as claimed in claim 27, wherein the ringingtone output at the at least one reception terminal may be expressed indifferent ways as a function of call priority.
 29. A method foridentifying a first subscriber of a telecommunications network asclaimed in claim 20, wherein the information of at least one informationtype for identifying the first subscriber is output at the at least onereception terminal during an existing voice connection between the firstsubscriber and at least one further subscriber of the telecommunicationsnetwork respectively operating the at least one reception terminal. 30.A method for identifying a first subscriber of a telecommunicationsnetwork as claimed in claim 20, wherein the information of at least oneinformation type may be output simultaneously with the information of atext information type.
 31. A method for identifying a first subscriberof a telecommunications network as claimed in claim 30, wherein thefirst subscriber is identified by a multimedia visitor's card output atthe at least one reception terminal via a short message service.
 32. Amethod for identifying a first subscriber of a telecommunicationsnetwork as claimed in claim 20, wherein the outputting of theinformation of at least one information type at the at least onereception terminal may be restricted via inputs into the at least onereception terminal.
 33. A method for identifying a first subscriber of atelecommunications network as claimed in claim 20, wherein theinformation of at least one information type may be selected by thefirst subscriber operating in associated transmission terminal.
 34. Areception terminal for identifying a first subscriber of atelecommunications network, comprising parts for outputting informationof at least one information type for identifying the first subscriber atat least one reception terminal, wherein the information of at least oneinformation type excludes information of a text information type.
 35. Areception terminal for identifying a first subscriber of atelecommunications network as claimed in claim 34, further comprising amemory for storing the information of at least one information type. 36.A reception terminal for identifying a first subscriber of atelecommunications network as claimed in claim 34, wherein theinformation of at least one information type may be outputsimultaneously with the information of a text information type.
 37. Areception terminal for identifying a first subscriber of atelecommunications network as claimed in claim 34, wherein theoutputting of the information of at least one information type may berestricted via inputs into the reception terminal.
 38. A transmissionterminal for transmitting information of at least one information typeto at least one reception terminal of a telecommunications network so asto identify a first subscriber operating the transmission terminal,comprising parts for allowing the first subscriber to make inputs intothe transmission terminal so as to determine which information of the atleast one information type should be transmitted to the at least onereception terminal, with the information of at least one informationtype excluding information of at text information type.
 39. Atransmission terminal for transmitting information of at least oneinformation type to at least one reception terminal of atelecommunications network so as to identify a first subscriberoperating the transmission terminal as claimed in claim 38, furthercomprising a memory for storing the information of at least oneinformation type.
 40. A transmission terminal for transmittinginformation of at least one information type to at least one receptionterminal of a telecommunications network so as to identify a firstsubscriber operating the transmission terminal as claimed in claim 38,wherein the information of at least one information type may betransmitted simultaneously with the information of a text informationtype.
 41. A transmission terminal for transmitting information of atleast one information type to at least one reception terminal of atelecommunications network so as to identify a first subscriberoperating the transmission terminal as claimed in claim 39, wherein thememory is a multimedia telephone directory.